The greatest window of opportunity to meet, teach, inspire and follow-up with the largest numbers of Jews during the year is over Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Shuls, community outreach centers, kollels and campus venues report attendance increases during the Yamim Noraim from 50 to 400 participants.

One new-wave Jewish spirituality group wrote that 220,000 viewers tuned in to their Kol Nidre TV broadcast! What kinds of programs and beginners minyanim can we run to attract and inspire searching Jews to become transformed into core participants in our outreach centers, campuses, shuls, and kollels?

The Olami Resources High Holidays Experience Programming Guide, Prayer Companions & Resources provide the logistics and educational content for creating exciting, versatile and compelling Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur minyanim and alternatives to services. This Guide features:

  • Ideas and instructions to plan, advertise and run the High Holidays minyanim.
  • Compelling classes and discussion groups for the beginners minyan.
  • Prayer Companions with inspiring insights and stories following the order of the tefillot.
  • A wealth of educational resources including MP3 shiurim, class outlines, articles, and High Holidays booklets.
  • Follow-up and continuing education ideas.

Whether you have six months to carefully strategize your High Holidays programming, or if you’re called with one day’s notice to lead a beginners minyan, BE”H, the Guide will assist you in producing a successful program.  The NLE High Holidays Programming Guide, Prayer Companions & Resources consist of the following components:

I. How to Run High Holidays Beginners Services

This guide details the logistics of planning, advertising, and running your beginners minyan, as well as alternatives to formal High Holidays services. Follow-up ideas are also included.

II. Complete Prayer Service Companions to Lead the Minyan

No matter what style of service you run, the prayer service companions (one for Rosh Hashanah and one for Yom Kippur) will help to add insight and inspiration to your services. Machzor commentaries, stories, and discussion ideas are organized in outline form following the order of the service itself and reference the corresponding pages in the ArtScroll Machzor.

III. Abridged Prayer Companions – Streamlined Version

As the name implies, these resources are print-and-go versions, containing highlights of the more comprehensive Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayer Service Companions.

IV. Morasha Classes

The Morasha Syllabus offers many classes for the Yamim Noraim. You can teach them in Elul to prepare your students for the High Holidays, or presented as an alternative during the services.

V. Discussion Sessions

Running a short, moderated discussion session with materials from Aish UK, Rabbi Yaakov Haber and the OU Pardes Booklets, and YUTorah can be a powerful alternative to a formal class to complement your beginners services.

VI. High Holidays Resources

Go here for more programming guides, shiurim, essays, MP3’s and videos to help in your preparation for your High Holidays programs.

VII. Supplemental Materials to Print Out

Print out reading materials and prayer explanations for your program and minyan participants to explore and use.